Peter A. Rohlf

Franz Schroeder was an innovator and creative artist who could interpret subject­ matter and style to compliment any architecture and interior religious spaces. Franz was one of the foremost Stained Glass designers and Glass Painter of the 20th century.

His knowledge of the Bible (which is vital in the field of religious Stained Glass) was only one of the many skills and attributes of Franz Schroeder. His ability to transfer his style from Catholic to Protestant and to Greek Iconography was another dimension of his talents. Franz's art reflected both his contemporary and traditional style which in today's environment met with the approval of both architects, religious leaders and committees. He was a pleasure to work with.

He could read blue prints and shop drawings, so important to interpreting the clients' needs and to achieve the desired designing goals within the budgets required. Rohlf's Stained & Leaded Glass, Inc. was indeed so very fortunate to have worked with this incredible Stained Glass artist.

Any Stained Glass artist with an interest in the profession of Stained Glass design and painting would benefit from the creative knowledge and interpretation of style and subject matter as it relates to religious buildings. Franz Schroeder's style is what dictates an artist.  Most of all Stained Glass designers who have been a part of this craft over the years have a style of their own. Franz Schroeder's particular style could be interpreted as Contemporary/Traditional with a stylized flair of his figures and lead lines.

His personality and love of his work was always with a smile and concern for others.

This book should be an insight into Franz Schroeder's creative talents for those who are not aware of this Master Stained Glass artist.

Rohlf's Stained & Leaded Glass Studio,
MOUNT VERNON, NY - ROHLFSTUDIO.COM

Richard Chartrand

Franz was able to listen to the wishes of us here representing the church client and transfer those thoughts to a design suitable for the type of church and style of architecture. He was always able to adapt his design to accommodate the shape and size of the window opening allowing for the design to make the structural muntins and supports disappear from the observer’s eye.

Franz was first, a friend to my father, Jules Chartrand. I believe that they first came to know each other when Jules was president of Librairie-Saint-Michel Inc. in Boston and the Zettler Studios was his company’s source to execute new stained glass windows for their church clients in the New England states.  With the knowledge of church art and stained glass that they shared, they worked as a team to design, sell, execute, and install many beautiful windows in several churches.

When I began in 1962 the company name was changed to Saint Michel Liturgical Arts, Inc. to reflect more of the purpose of the firm.  I became president upon the death of Jules in 1983. Franz and I always had a most amicable friendship working together in quite a few projects.

He was a gentleman always open and honest – true to his word. And he had a talent to provide artistic windows that people always admired.

RICHARD CHARTRAND, FORMER OWNER OF ‘THE SAINT MICHEL LITURGICAL ARTS STUDIO’ IN BOSTON, MA

E.J. Potente

A worthy project, this memorial to your father.
Franz Schroeder and his style were ‘sui generis’ (of it’s own kind). No one painted like him.

It resembled the Munich style in some ways, which was a sentimental fashion immensely popular with 19th Century Catholic Churches but really very sentimental and trying too hard to be “old masters” paintings. Franz Schroeder kept the figurative aspect of this style but cleaned it all up, brought it into the 20th century and made it look as though it fit our world. To say that it was “traditional” was selling his style short because it was much more than that. It was never stagey or self-conscious.

Every time that I saw an installation I was bowled over.
It was all so good.

Franz Schroeder was a very kind man. Franz was always eager to help on one or another of our projects at ‚The Studios of Potente’. He would fly up from Florida to O’Hare and I would pick him up and take him to the shop where he would work diligently on the work, happy to be doing just what he did best. Everyone respected and admired him. His sketches were terrific, just as the glass that was the final product.
It was a pleasure to know him.

Best to you on this project.

E.J. Potente, FORMER OWNER OF THE Studios of Potente in Kenosha, Wisconsin
EuGene Potente Jr.’s son

Carmen Moreno Simunovic

I met Franz Schroeder almost 20 years ago when I started working at Rohlf Studios.  Franz was very well known and respected throughout the stained glass industry for his experience, dedication, and original style. At the time, and until now and even after his passing over a year ago, there was always at least one large project including several windows in the Studio’s work calendar for the year. After 2 years working at the studio I had the chance to paint Franz’s designs for the first time and to meet him.  He was coming to New York to visit the studio. My boss, Peter Rohlf, arranged for him to give us a class and instructions about how to paint his designs.

Very friendly and approachable, Franz spent the day teaching us painting techniques in general and then gave me specific instructions about flesh and drapery, the two core elements in his designs. He gained his expertise in the field at Franz Mayer’s studio in Munich, a world-known stained glass studio, famous for its traditional windows.  Masterfully and heavily painted, Mayer windows are famous for depicting beautiful full bible scenes including detailed landscapes, ornamented draperies and canopies, and border stencils. Franz used all that knowledge to develop his own style (and at the same time, to meet the requirements of the times for narrower budgets).

He paid all the attention to the figures depicted in his windows.  They became the story, told through their gestures. He stylized flesh and drapery and simplified the backgrounds and borders, bringing out the light and beauty of the glass. There was also a special sweet quality to his faces, and his windows in general had distinct qualities that made them readily recognizable anywhere.

Through the years, I have painted so many Franz Schroeder projects, many of them including so many windows, that I have lost count.  Three years ago, I painted the last large project he designed for the studio.  When the cartoons arrived, I was impressed by how skillful he was to draw figures in such a large scale, and I admired his perseverance and love for the craft to continue working at his age.

Answering the question who would benefit from a book about the life and work of Franz Schroeder, I must say that about 3 years ago I attended an advanced seminar about flesh painting techniques. During the first class the students had to choose a picture to copy of a stained glass face from a collection the teacher had made through the years with what she considered great stylized faces from stained glass. They were going to copy that face on glass using the technique the teacher was teaching. Some of the students chose an image to work with that was very familiar to me, a Mary’s face from one of Franz’s windows.  
I think those students would gain a lot from knowing who the artist was, and to see in full his designs.   

Carmen Moreno Simunovic,painter
at Rohlf's Stained & Leaded Glass Studio,
MOUNT VERNON, NY - ROHLFSTUDIO.COM